A Tavern Feast Poem by Thomas Parnell

Gay Bacchus liking B---s wine
A noble meal bespoke
& for ye guests that were to dine
Brought Comus Love & Joke
The God near Cupid drew his chair
& Joke by Comus plact
Thus wine makes Love forget his care
& Mirth exalts a feast
To make it more deserve ye God
Each sweet engaging Grace
Put on some cloaths to come abroad
& took a waiters place
Then Cupid namd for ev'ry glass
A Lady of ye sky
& Bacchus swore he'd drink ye ye Lass
& had it bumper high
Fat Comus tossd his brimmers o're
& allways gott ye most
For Joke took care to fill him more
When ere he missd ye toast
They calld & drunk at evry touch
& calld & drunk again
& if ye Gods can take too much
Tis said they did so then
Free Jests ran all the table round
& with ye wine conspire
While they by sly reflections wound
To Set their heads afire
Plump Bacchus little Cupid stung
By reckning his deceits
& Cupid mockd his stammring tongue
& all his stagg'ring gates
Joke drolld on Comus Greedy ways
& tales without a Jest
& Comus calld his witty plays
But waggerys at best
such talking sett them all at odds
& had I Homers pen
Ide sing you how they drunk like Gods
& how they fought like men
To part ye fray the Graces fly
Who make them soon agree
& had ye furys selves been nigh
They still were three to three
Bacchus appeasd letts Cupid up
& gave him back his bow
But kept some darts to stirr ye Cup
Where Sack & Sugar flow
Joke taking Comus rosy crown
In triumph wore ye prize
& thrice in mirth he pushd him down
As thrice he strove to rise
Then Cupid sought ye mirtle grove
Where Venus did recline
& Beauty close embracing Love
They Joyn to rail at Wine
& Comus loudly cursing witt
Rolld off to some retreat
Where boon companions gravely sitt
In dull unwieldy state
Bacchus & Joke who stay behind
For one fresh glass prepare
& kiss & are exceeding kind
& vow to be sincere
But part in time whoever here
Are couchd within my song
For tho the friendship may be dear
It cant continue long.